peters



2 Sh eets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

GQRQOTIS. Hatohway.

Patented Juhe 14,1881

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(No Model.) 2 8l166tS-.-S11GBL 2.

. G. R. OTIS.

v Hatchway. No. 242,968; Patented June 14,1881.

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To all whom it may concern.-

NITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

CHARLES It. OTIS, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

HATCHWAY.

SPECIEIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,968, dated June 14, 1881,

Application filed April 15, 1881.

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. OTIS, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,have invented an Improvement in Hatchways, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are mainly, first, to reduce the labor of opening and closing hatchways 5 second, to effect these operations automatically and in such time and order that only those necessary for the passage of the platform will be open at one time; and these objects I effect by combining an engine with each hatch-cover and by the use of appliances whereby such engines may be successively brought into operation as the platform traverses the way.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a hatchway illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line 1. 2, Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4, modifications.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with an ordinary goods-elevator, where a platform, N, is suspended to a cable passing round a sheave, N, and passes between suitable guides through the hatches 1 2 3 of successive floors, the successive hatches being provided with covers G H I, as usual, and the covers being slit, so that each can be turned down withoutcontactwith the rope when the platform is below it.

With each cover I combine an engine, shown as consisting of a cylinder, D, piston E, and piston-rod carrying a wedge-shape rack, K, that gears into a toothed segment, L, at one side of the hatch-cover, and arranged eccentrically to the hinge of the cover. In place of this connection, however, the piston-rod may be jointed to a pitman connected to an arm on the hatch-cover. Each engineis provided with suitable inlet and exhaust ports and valve appliances, whereby a motor-fluid-as air, steam, or water-may be admitted to force the piston in one direction and raise the cover, or exhausted to permit the piston to move back and lower the cover, the engine operating at the start with an increased leverage, owing to the eccentricity of the segment L. The movements are prevented from beginning and terminating abruptly by aprons s on the pistons,

which gradually cover and throttle the inlet (No model.)

and outlet ports as the piston terminates either movement. Additional safety and an easier operation may be secured by the use of a counterweight, M, that balances the cover, hung to a cord passing over a curved edge of the segment and entering dash-pots T T as it terminates each movement, the air compressed in the pots and escaping slowly, limiting the speed of the engine.

The engine-valves may be operated by rods '01" ropes accessible to the platform or from the diiferent floors, Fig. 3, or automatically by contact with the platform or with some moving part of the apparatus. may be arranged. on one floor and connected by rods to the different covers, and an endless rope passing over the drum-pulley, or a rope attached to the platform, may be provided with arms or stops that as the rope is raised or lowered will successively move the en ginevalves to admit pressure to raise each cover as the platform approaches and open the exhaust after the platform has passed, thereby keeping the covers shut, except when necessarily opened for the passage of the platform. Effective arrangements for securing such operations are shown in the drawings.

' In Fig. 1 a water-tank, O, at the top of the Thus all the enginesspindle has an arm, a, connected by a rod, 1),

to the outer end of aforked lever, 0, arranged near to one of the guides and below the next upper floor, and to the inner end of each lever O is connected the end of a rod, d, that extends to the outer end of a lever, D, arranged near the guide and at a point alittle above the second floor below. These levers and rods are at one side, out of the way of the platform, which is provided with a lateral pin, 6, extending from a bracket bolted to the under side, which pin, entering between the forks of the levers, swings the same as the platform moves up and down. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, a lever, O, has just been depressed by contact with the pin 6 of the descendingplatform, and the valve of the engine that operates the cover H has been turned to admit the water to the upper its pin 6 into contact with the lever D above the cover H it will depress the inner end of such lever, and the valve of the uppermost engine will be turned so as to lower the hatchcover G, the cover H being lowered as the platform passes the next to the lowest lever, D. Thus on the upward movement of the platform the covers above are successively raised and those below are successively lowered, and the operations reversed as the platform descends.

The dischargewater may be received into a tank, 1?, and thence pumped into the tank 0, and as the pressure is lowest in the upper engines the cylinders may be of successively increasing diameters. It will be apparent that the hatches may have each two leaves, hinged at opposite sides, instead of one, as shown, and that in such case either one engine to each leaf or rod and lever connections, whereby one leaf is operative from the other, may be used.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 a wind ing drum or pulley, Q, receives a rope, g, attached at one end to the platform, and is revolved as the platform moves. The rotation of the pulley slides a bar, t, geared with a pinion, 8, and the movement of the bar operates successivelyihe valve-arms of the different cylinders.

Without, therefore,limiting myself to the arrangement shown, I clairn 1. Thecombination, with the cover of ahatchway, of an engine and appliances, substantially as described, whereby the said coveris raised and lowered by the action of the engine, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a hatchway and with the series of covers, of a series of engines connected each to one of the hatch-covers, and appliances, substantially as described, whereby the valves of said engines may be operated from the different floors, substantially as set forth.

3. A hatchway provided with covers, operating-engines, and appliances, substantially as described, whereby the valves of said engines will be automatically and successively adjusted to raise each cover as the load approaches and lower it after it has passed, substantiall y as set forth.

4. The combination of the series of covers and respective engines, pipe R, supplying the motor-fluid, valves 13, and levers O D, connected to the different valves, and arranged to be struck by a pin on the platform or other moving part of the apparatus, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a platform-cover, toothed segment arranged eccentrically to the hinge thereof, and engine carrying a wedgeshaped rack, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth.

6. The combination, with the cover, ofa counter-weight, dash-pots, and operating-engine, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

(JHAS. R. OTIS. Witnesses:

JOHN MoMAnoN, CHARLES E. Fos'rna. 

